We Are Not Parts Of A Person
Let's not divide ourselves
We are not parts of a person; we are a whole person. We cannot draw distinctions or forge barriers between the different parts of ourselves.
Whether it’s the parts we like versus those we don’t. Or the parts we deem valuable versus those not particularly so. We should not do it.
Indeed, every stroke of the sketch defines the perfect image of who we are, including the flaws.
But how could a perfect image include defects? How could God create something with faults? I thought His creation was very good (perfect) right from the beginning?
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31, NRSV)
Well, yes, His creation is very good, in its purity; but this was before the Fall.
When sin entered the world, everything became a little dark. The light of His Creation, in a moment, became a dim reflection of its prior glory. Disease breathed into the hearts of mankind’s first members, then down to all humanity. Pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth are but some of the delights of this inheritance.
But Christians are not defined by these things, but by the Light of Christ within us.
Bringing it all back together
If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. (Mark 3:24–25, NRSV)
Sin is but a distortion of what is good. Sin cannot stand without it. And when God loved, willed, and spoke the vision of who He wanted us to be into existence, He had a good design in mind. Indeed, He didn’t create faults; He created goodness.
So, let us not divide ourselves into virtues and faults. Instead, let us seek the underlying goodness in each. In pride, are we searching for love? In gluttony, are we seeking safety? In sloth, are we seeking peace? These ends are all good things; the issue is seeking them in fallen ways. But this is no cause for shame; instead, it calls for redeeming love.
Christ’s redemption plan is to restore the whole of us. He desires to reintegrate all our broken parts into one glorious image — into a restored image of God. These parts need refining, but this image reflects in a distinct way how God designed us to be before the Fall. He wants to heal us from sin, including the pains we hold back in shame. So we have to be honest with ourselves; we need to be vulnerable with Him.
So, let’s start there.
Arthur.
Visit my YouTube Channel for Holy Scripture readings, meditations, and prayers with original music and classic artwork.